The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard

The Motivation Manifesto is a pulsing, articulate, ferocious call to claim our personal power. World-renowned high performance trainer Brendon Burchard reveals that the main motive of humankind is the pursuit of greater Personal Freedom. We desire the grand liberties of choice—time freedom, emotional freedom, social freedom, financial freedom, spiritual freedom. Only two enemies stand in our way: an external enemy, defined as the social oppression of who we are by the mediocre masses, and an internal enemy, a sort of self-oppression caused by our own doubt and fear.

The march to Personal Freedom, Burchard argues, can be won only by declaring our intent and independence, stepping into our personal power, and battling through self-doubt and the distractions of the day until full victory is won. Recalling the revolutionist voices of the past that chose freedom over tyranny, Burchard—at times poetic yet always fierce—motivates us to free ourselves from fear and take back our lives once and for all.

Memorable Quotes

“There comes a time in the lives of those destined for greatness when we must stand before the mirror of meaning and ask: why, having been endowed with the courageous heart of a lion, do we live as mice?”

“Without a vibrant awareness, we cannot connect with others or ourselves, nor can we meet the demands of the hour with grace.”

“We must remember we are not the sum of our intentions but of our actions.”

“Too many of us believe ourselves strong when a long gaze across our lives would sight a pattern of quitting or withdrawing too soon, often when our loved ones needed us to be strong or right when our dreams were just within reach. For convenience or the wide smile of popularity, we waffle on our word and give up what we truly believe in.”

“We must mature and realize that freeing our mind of ancient hurts and opening once more to love shall give us access to divine strength. To stand emotionally open before the world and give of our hearts without fear of hurt or demand of reciprocity – this is the ultimate act of human courage.”

“When experiencing personal freedom, we have a heightened sense of genuineness and joy in our being. We feel unbounded, independent, and self-reliant. There is a palpable authenticity and aliveness in how we relate to others and contribute to the world.”

“Consider that the great masters and leaders of yesterday trained themselves to be free from social and self-oppressions to an impressive degree. They struggled but learned to be free in the moment to express who they truly were and to create and contribute to the world without paralyzing fear. They didn’t feel the need to conform but rather learned to be independent, unique, and genuine, even as they successfully served the world, even as they were often judged or jailed. On the ground of such personal liberation stands the world’s most notable figures: Gandhi and Frankl and King and Mandela were free even as they were imprisoned.”

“For the entitled, there can be only a constant whining misery; the person who believes they should be given everything for nothing will never be free from an immature envy and contempt for those who have more than they do. The entitled are perhaps the most caged of all, slave to a grand friction that the world owes them anything at all.”

“The sense of security people get from conformity cannot be understated; it is one of the great enemies of Personal Freedom.”

“To achieve and sustain Personal Freedom, we must dedicate ourselves to self-mastery; we must determine and discipline our own motivations to stay true to our own sense of self, to our own path.”

“Attempting to conceal fear as a friend is like forcing a wolf to be a pet. Soon the pet will eat us alive.”

“Some people become such slaves to fear that they constantly feel powerless, inferior, ready to give up. They allow others to hurt them because they do not speak up for themselves. They quietly play it safe, never showing themselves to the world. These are the meek who stood to inherit the earth but never rose to claim it; the sullen who watched atrocities wear on without a word of defiance. Good people stand at the sidelines of history and never make their mark.”

“We must remember that most cynics and judgemental tyrants who seek to oppress us are small, frustrated people who take the heat off their own apathy and failure by labeling us as narcissistic strivers or undeserving fakes. They try to belittle us to stop feeling so little themselves.”

“To some, this sounds like mere positive thinking. And what of it? Shall we continue thinking negatively? What good will come from focusing on all the loss and hardship we might experience in life? There is no self-awareness in letting fear reign because of our own mental sloth. We have the personal power to wield our thoughts more forcefully in the daily fight against our fears. Our thoughts will free us or destroy us. Maturity comes in understanding that it is our choice alone to move toward freedom.”

“People who are motivated are not lucky. They are conscientious. They choose to use their minds in a more purposeful way in order to energize and lift their lives. And for that they tend to achieve more and gain more respect.”

“It is hard, though not impossible, to be highly motivated when surrounded by pessimists and jerks, or while living in the stress and chaos created by the drama queens and absentminded. It is also the rare individual who spends his days couch surfing and partying with drunken friends, then ends up stumbling on the secret to success and happiness.”

“Many people are checked out of today because they are thinking about tomorrow.”

“How we handle the enemies of our own progress speaks to our character and independence. We are doomed if we subordinate our day’s agenda to their every request or crisis.”

“Greatness belongs to those who have mastered their internal world.”

“Love is always the final and most complete cure to our inner demons.”

“The bold know that to win, one must first begin.”

“We do not need more time; we need a stronger reason to act so that we use time more effectively. We do not need to await more resources; we need to act and we will find abundance comes to us. We do not need to wait for perfect conditions; we will find perfection in progress. We do not need to ask in order to receive; we need to give in order to receive, for in giving we are given to. We cannot timidly wait for everything to fall into our laps; we will receive only as we rise and march, for destiny turns its ear to those without fear. These truths form the mindset of readiness and abundance that is needed to advance one’s life.”

“We should not focus on the shadow in the corner and be so foolish as to miss the fact that the shadow exists only because the room is illuminated. There is light all around, there is much to be grateful for in this seemingly dark world, and so all we must do is pull our gaze from the shadow and look to the ocean of divine light and grace in which we are blessed to live.”

“Love is a divine energy, always present, accessible, flowing. If we accept this much, we can go further. We can let go of past hurts, for they have nothing to do with the reality of love itself. And we can stop playing our petty games, slowly pacing the release of our love to the world only when it feels safe.”

“We have no time for mediocrity on our march. Those who do not share our interest in excellence must be left behind, as they will not contribute meaningfully and they cannot be led on our particular path. We have no need to worry about cutting poor performers loose: they will quickly be picked up and find their own place. This is not being dismissive or cruel or unappreciative; it is simply allowing people to find out where their level of contribution and talent is really needed. We do not judge them and we need not seek to “fix” them. On our own journey, we are merely choosing to surround ourselves with those who align with our values and our mission.”

“We must never be shy in setting the expectation for world-class performance. Widely shared, it becomes an unwavering standard that inspires everyone to a higher quality of action.”

“We are not supposed to miss this moment. We were not destined to go barreling through life half-numb, unaware of our senses and surroundings, deaf and blind to the magical qualities of the moment.”

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The Motivation Manifesto

Simon Drew is an Stoic musician, writer, lifestyle coach, personal trainer, podcast host, and student of life. He believes that the key to a life well lived is to never stop learning, growing, and sharing, and he is dedicated to helping as many people as possible to experience that kind of life.